The Health Service Journal has published its guide on heart failure, ‘The case for fighting heart failure’.
The guide reports that there are now almost a million people in the UK living with heart failure and 200,000 new cases identified every year, with the condition currently costing the NHS £2bn annually. Yet those working in the field fear a lack of awareness of the condition – from both the general population and healthcare professionals – is leading to sub-optimal care and unnecessary costs to the system.
However, there are ways to surmount the challenge, decreasing costs and hospital admissions. Training GPs to spot the symptoms of heart failure leading to prompter diagnoses and better monitoring, as well as moving to a community-focused approach to heart failure services can reduce the problem and improve care, according to the guide.